"The OLF are always lying. There is no way that they could have killed so many of our soldiers. They simply do not have the means and capabilities to destroy so many members of our army," he said.

He said the army had also seized Kalashnikov and G3 assault rifles, five rocket propelled grenade launchers, 12 anti-tank landmines, and several sets of long- and medium-range radio communication sets.

The commander accused Eritrea, with whom Ethiopia is emerging from a two-and-a-half year border conflict, of arming and supporting the OLF fighters and other armed opposition movements.

'Eritrean backing'

According to General Debele, the captured OLF fighters were interrogated and had explained that they had come from Eritrea where they were trained by the Eritrean army at the Sawa military camp.

He said that they then had been told to cross the long and porous Sudanese border and enter into Ethiopia.

He added that most of the OLF fighters were Ethiopian refugees, and a few Ethiopian army soldiers who had defected and been recruited by the OLF and sent to Eritrea.

He said that they had been "deceived" by OLF leaders and the Eritrean Government who had promised to send them to the United States, but instead had sent them back to infiltrate Ethiopia and hamper peace in the country.